Revenge of the Sith: Prophecy Fulfilled
by Firebird 13
Summary: A semiAU fic where Anakin doeasn't fall to the dark side. After refusing Palpatine's offer, Anakin must come to terms with his decision and rally the Jedi for one final, desperate stand against Palpatine and the darkness.
1. Chapter 1: Point of No Return

Revenge of the Sith: Prophecy Fulfilled

Chapter 1: Point of no Return

-- (0) --

Even sitting in the Jedi Council Chambers, with all the currents of the Force swirling around him, Anakin Skywalker could not find peace.

How could he when knew he had just condemned the love of his life to death?

His very soul twisted and contorted into such grotesque, agonizing shapes that Anakin was sure that he was going to die. The pain of his actions was more than his body could handle. His hands found his head and squeezed. The whole situation was infuriating! Palpatine was a Sith Lord, the very thing that Anakin had been taught his entire Jedi life were the very embodiment of evil! What was worse was that Palpatine was the Sith Lord who had orchestrated the Clone Wars! How many friends and allies had Anakin lost because of Palpatine? How many innocent people had been killed? Yet Palpatine had never been anything but a friend to Anakin. In fact, Palpatine had treated Anakin like family, like a nephew! What made things a thousand times worse was that Palpatine knew how to save Padme's life! When Palpatine died, so would Padme!

'But Palpatine is a Sith Lord!' Anakin screamed inside his head, 'He's got the blood of billions of innocent people on his hands! I _had_ to turn him in!'

This thought did nothing to soothe the chaos inside his mind and Anakin practically threw himself out of his chair and walked over to the adjacent window. He gazed out over the Coruscanti horizon to where he knew 500 Republica to be. Somewhere on the top levels of that building, he knew Padme was waiting for him; carrying his unborn child. Anakin reached out with the Force and felt her. Felt the very truth of her. He felt the beat of her heart, the gentle rise and fall of her lungs as she breathed. Deeper still, Anakin could feel her love for him. Her _true_ love for him. He felt that love pour into his own heart and fill him completely. It was warm, gentle, and powerful beyond any measure of the Force. It gently wrapped itself around Anakin and cradled him in a gentle embrace so like Padme had when he had awoken from his nightmare what felt like a lifetime ago. Anakin softly pressed his hand of flesh against the window and sent his love for Padme back to her through the Force. She may not be a Jedi, but she was Anakin's wife, and right now he wanted nothing more than for her to feel the truth of his love for her the way he had felt hers. Anakin sent it all, every once of love he had ever felt for her. From the time he was a nine-year old slave boy on Tatooine to now. Moments later, Anakin felt a surprising ripple through the Force connection he had unwittingly forged between him and his wife.

She was unconsciously sending him her love back.

The realization that Padme had not only felt what Anakin had done, but was returning in kind (even if she was unaware of it), was incredible. The fact that she truly loved him _that_ much was more than Anakin could handle. He slumped against the window and slid down to the floor, silent tears streaming down his face. He couldn't let her die, he just _couldn't_! But accepting Palpatine's offer would mean abandoning the Jedi. What would Obi-Wan think? The magnitude of that thought threatened to send Anakin over the edge when suddenly, the chaos in his head, the chaos that had been driving him mad over the last several days, just disappeared. Obi-Wan, he needed to talk to Obi-Wan. All Anakin had to do was buy time for Obi-Wan to get back from Utapau! It was so absurdly simple that Anakin was stunned he hadn't thought of it earlier. Anakin could save everyone at once. He could save Palpatine and he could save Master Windu and the others who had gone to confront the Chancellor.

He could even save Padme.

All he needed was time.

-- (0) --

As Anakin rushed toward the hangers of the Jedi Temple, four Jedi Masters approached the private office of one Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. The soft burgundy carpet of the hall muffled their footfalls and the gray durasteel door to the office seemed to melt into the walls with a mechanical hiss as they approached.

Palpatine heard the noise, and turned his seat to see which Jedi had come to apprehend him.

"Ah, Master Windu, what a pleasant surprise!"

As he spoke, Palpatine sent a flicker of his will through the Force and triggered an audio only recording device within his desk.

"I take it General Grievous has been destroyed then?" he asked pleasantly.

"This isn't about Grievous," Master Windu replied stonily.

"It's not?" Palpatine queried innocently, "Master Fisto, hello. Master Kolar, I trust you're well. And Master Tiin! I see that your horn has re-grown nicely. You must forgive my ignorance Masters, but if it is not Grievous or the war, what has brought you to my office at such an hour?"

"We know who you are," Mace replied, "We know _what_ you are. We're here to take you into custody."

"I beg your pardon Master Windu. _What _I am?" Palpatine said with obvious confusion, "And I sincerely hope I misunderstand what you mean by custody. It screams of treason."

"Then let me make my meaning plainer," Mace responded coldly, "You're under arrest Chancellor!"

At that pronouncement, Mace Windu ignited his lightsaber and was mirrored by his companions as they moved out in a semi-circle, cornering the Chancellor.

"And on what charges do you intend to arrest me under?"

"You're a Sith Lord!" Mace said bluntly.

"I am? Even if that were true, I believe the Constitution of the Republic has very specific laws against persecution based on a philosophical or religious belief."

"We're not here to argue with you. Come with us. Now?"

"I will do no such thing, Master Windu!" Palpatine fired back, "I have committed no crime, and yet you Jedi traitors are here to imprison me, with your weapons drawn no less!"

"Don't try to resist."

"_Resist_!?" Palpatine cried shrilly, "How could I possibly resist you? This isn't an arrest at all. This is _murder_! How am I of any threat to the Jedi? Master Tiin, you're the telepath, what am I thinking right now?"

Jedi Master Saesee Tiin cocked his head curiously to one side, and ever so slightly lowered his emerald green blade. A blur of black shadow and red flame shot from behind Palpatine's desk and Saesee Tiin's head bounced as it hit the floor.

Both Mace Windu and Kit Fisto jumped back in alarm.

"It doesn't…" Agen Kolar half whispered.

His sky blue blade was sucked back into the hilt of his lightsaber and a crimson blade withdrew from his head.

"..hurt."

The Jedi Master was dead before he hit the floor.

Once again, Mace and Kit Fisto gave a start of shock as they stared at Palpatine, who was now standing in the doorway, a blood colored blade cocked high at his shoulder.

"Help! Help!" he cried, his voice high and panicky, "Security, someone, _anyone_! Help me!"

And then to the utter astonishment of Mace and Kit, Palpatine held a finger to his lips…

…and winked.

Palpatine lowered his blade and swept past the two Jedi, back to his desk. With a surgically precise stab, Palpatine drove his scarlet blade straight through the recording device.

"That's _quite_ enough of _that_."

There was a pause where Palpatine looked over at the two Jedi, a sadistic grin spreading across his mouth, and the floodgates of will that held his dark power at bay collapsed.

It happened almost instantly. The softly glowing lampdisks that illuminated Palpatine's office seemed to flicker and fade as a shadow as dark as the space between galaxies and as old as the universe itself engulfed the room. The shadow clawed toward the two Jedi, slithering through the Force toward their hearts, and when Mace tried to trace this shadow back to it's source, he found that it led straight into the heart of the man standing before him.

Chancellor Palpatine.

And as he realized this, the man before him disappeared. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, dogged and brave leader of the Republic, savior of civilization, melted away into the shadow. In his place stood a timeless shadow, a black hole within the Force. The phantom menace that had been insidiously striking at the Jedi from within the darkness it's enemies dared not tread. Palpatine was no more.

There was only Sidious.

Darth Sidious.

The Lord of the Sith raised his blood-shine blade and stared at it as though it were a long lost lover. And then, perhaps to the Jedi, perhaps to himself, or perhaps even to the blade of crimson plasma before him; the shadow that was Sidious spoke.

"If only you know," the shadow's voice said, shaking with a perverse lust, "Just how long I've been waiting for this."

-- (0) --

Anakin's speeder screamed through the night sky as forked bolts of lightning sparked against the lightning rods of the Coruscanti skyline that surrounded him. Far off in the distance, he could feel an immense shadow consume the Chancellor's private office.

He needed to _hurry_!

Anakin shoved the speeder's engines to full and felt through the Force for the fastest route to the Chancellor. He found it almost instantly and dove right into the heart of Coruscanti air-traffic. Bobbing and weaving through air taxis and other speeders, Anakin prayed with all his heart that he wasn't too late.

-- (0) --

Kit Fisto never had a chance.

As soon as it had finished speaking, the living shadow that was Darth Sidious surged forward, powerful beyond measure, and consumed the Jedi Master utterly.

Now Mace Windu was alone against the physical manifestation of the Dark Side itself.

Alone, but _not_ helpless.

Because Mace has a power too. He has Vaapad.

It is often touted at the seventh form of Lightsaber combat, but Vaapad is much more than that. Vaapad is a form of combat, a power, and a state of mind. To use Vaapad, one must give himself to the fight, to the thrill of combat, and the lust for victory. That is why it is such a dangerous form.

It leads through the outer fringes of the Dark Side.

Mace Windu created it, and he was its only living Master.

So when the shadow swung it's blade at Mace's neck, Mace released Vaapad from within his heart and answered in kind.

The shadow pressed on him, and Mace used Vaapad to push back. Every strike of his blade, every blow that was sidestepped, every whip crack of the Force that sent decorations hurtling through the air at the shadow, every one of them was Mace Windu fighting to save the Republic he loved so dearly. Darkness poured from the shadow and Mace let it flow through him and then reflect back out at the shadow.

This is the power of Vaapad. It is a channel for darkness. It creates a circuit within the Force, a never-ending loop of energy that allows Mace to turn darkness into light. The Force darkens and crackles around Mace and he draws it into himself before expelling it back out at the shadow. The shadow gives Mace it's hatred, and Mace returns it. Their blades flash and spark and spit lethal gouts of crimson and amethyst energy as they twirl and whirl and crash together. By using the power of Vaapad, Mace displays it's from.

As Mace continues to take in and reflect the shadow's dark power, he also uses it to power his fighting. Vaapad is named after the vicious predator of the same name found on the moons of Sarapin. A Vaapad attacks with tentacles that move so blindingly fast, they are impossible to see.

So does Mace Windu's blade.

The shadow's power fuels Mace's fighting and Mace's fighting fuels the shadow. The circuit was complete, the loop of energy was moving. While the shadow could no longer overpower Mace, neither could Mace overpower the shadow.

Stalemate.

Which could have gone on into eternity, if Vaapad were Mace's only skill. The fighting was effortless now, so Mace stretched out with his Force perceptions and stared the shadow in the face. Where previously Mace saw a number of shatterpoints upon which Palpatine might have broken, he saw the shadow had only one. Coiled and crystallized at the core of the shadow's heart, wasn't just the shatterpoint of the shadow.

It was the shatterpoint of the Dark Side itself.

Anakin Skywalker.

Mace searched even deeper and found that the Jedi this shatterpoint centered around was careening through Coruscanti air-traffic in one of the Temple speeders.

Headed straight for them!

Victory flooded throughout the Jedi Master's entire being and he threw it all at the shadow with thunderous force. Caught completely off guard, the shadow retreated backwards, toward the massive window at the rear of Palpatine's public office. Fear gripped the shadow's heart in an icy vice and try as it might to use it, the fear continually sapped at the shadow's strength. The Force hissed and spat all around the two combatants, and as their blades made contact, the window behind them shattered into a thousand pieces. Then the shadow's fear turned into hatred, a violent, vehement, _hatred_ and the shadow turned it on the Jedi. The Jedi was unprepared and it cost him. The shadow's blade grazed the Jedi's forehead and seared a strip of his flesh as the Jedi bent back, half a second too late. The shadow returned with a thrust to the stomach and the Jedi caught the thrust and sent it away before whirling around and kicking the shadow in the stomach. As the shadow reeled, the Jedi's violet blade came down and neatly bisected the shadow's lightsaber shortly before a blast of the Force threw the shadow into the far side of the window frame.

And then the shadow's power broke; as if shattered by its impact against the window frame. It slithered away in defeat only to reveal a withered and shrunken Palpatine cowering in fear. Light flooded back into the office of the Chancellor and Mace's heart sang with joy. As if to celebrate this victory, Mace could feel Skywalker frantically run to his side.

The Sith had been defeated!

"You are under arrest, _my lord_."

Disdain coated Mace Windu's last words as he leveled the point of his blade at Palpatine's chin.

"Do you see this Anakin?" Palpatine half-shouted, "Do you? I told you it would come to this. The Jedi have betrayed the Republic!"

"Save your twisted words, my lord. There are no politicians in this room. You have lost. You have lost for the same reason the Sith always loose: defeated by your own fear."

Palpatine looked at Mace then, and was once again no longer Palpatine. Darkness swiftly slithered from the shadowed corners of the office and the shadow known as Sidious returned.

His poisonous yellow eyes smoked with hate.

"Fool."

He lifted his hands, and a rumble of thunder from the darkest corners of the galaxy echoed through to Sidious's voice.

"_FOOL!!!_ You think the fear you feel is _mine?_"

There was a blast of thunder, and dark lightning forked from Sidious's hands.

Mace prepared to block it but was suddenly and inexplicably yanked out of the way. He tumbled through the air and with an effortless nudge of the Force, planted himself firmly on his feet. He looked up to see Anakin standing in front of him, braced for a fight.

"Sir please," he said, his voice wavering only slightly, "Please stop this."

"Stop this?!" Sidious barked, "Do you think the Jedi will stop this, now that they're so close?"

When Anakin spoke again, his voice did not waver.

"It doesn't matter what I think, they _will_ stop."

"Skywalker…" Mace began, blown away by Anakin's statement.

"Master Windu, please!" Anakin said as he held out his hand to indicate silence, "Please just give me a little time."

At a loss for words, Mace peered into the Force at Anakin and found, to his amazement, that the chosen one was no longer afraid. When he had first approached Mace with the news of the Chancellor's true nature, Anakin was being eaten alive by fear. Now there was none. Now there was only firmness. Skywalker had a plan, but Mace didn't have a clue what it was.

So he simply stood back, and lowered his blade.

Sidious too, was affected by Anakin's change in demeanor. His mind was no longer troubled by the myriad problems that had plagued him for the last few days. It was solid and firm, resolute.

So Sidious decided to change his strategy once again.

He released the lion's share of his dark power, and let Palpatine's face flow back over his. He let Palpatine's frailty once again overtake his body, and let Palpatine's gentle voice mask his own.

"Anakin," he said, "Please understand that the Jedi _cannot_ stop. And even if they could, if they arrest me, I will be unable to save Padme!"

There it was. A flicker in Anakin's eyes, the small shadow of doubt.

"You must not let the Jedi take me in, it will be the death of her!"

The effect these words had on Anakin was immediate and obvious; and it made Sidious cackle with glee behind his Palpatine mask. Yet something was amiss. While Anakin's doubt had increased significantly, his will to follow his own plan increased _massively_!

'_I can't believe I'm about to say this!_' Anakin thought as he opened his mouth.

"I'm sorry sir…" his voice was strained, "but that is a risk I am going to have to take."

The shock Sidious feels at these words is so great that his Palpatine mask almost failed. A furious snarl built up to an almost uncontrollable size within his throat and it took all of Sidious's will not to release it. Yet as Sidious stared through Palpatine's eyes past Anakin's shoulder, to the Jedi Master whose face was contorting itself into a look of stunned realization, Sidious's will failed him.

Darkness beyond darkness erupted from the core of Sidious's heart and shattered the mask of Palpatine as a purest rage filled every corner of his mind, body, and soul. A blast of this rage viciously hurls Anakin aside into the wall to his right and then Sidious thrusts his hands forward and turns the storm of his rage into a storm of lightning that burst forth from his fingertips.

Mace Windu was caught so thoroughly off-guard, that he can only stare in horror as Sidious's dark lightning chews it's way through the air toward him. Yet in the corner of his vision, obscured by the rapidly approaching lightning, the figure of a man hurtles toward him. Before Mace can react, a burst of the Force throws him backward and a blue beam of energy explodes into existence right before the man twists in the air and lands firmly between him and the lightning. It is only seconds later that Mace realizes this man is Anakin Skywalker.

Yet Anakin Skywalker is unprepared to face such a powerful onslaught of Force Lightning. It makes such violent contact with his blade that it is almost immediately forced back into his face. Only a desperate jerk of the head makes the blade sizzle against his left shoulder instead of his left eye. Anakin hissed in pain, but musters all of his strength, both physical and Force-born, to push back against Sidious's attack. A firm and immovable desire to hold back the lightning consumes Anakin's mind and he seizes on it. Suddenly, the dam between Anakin and his full potential is momentarily unlocked. A rush of power flows through Anakin's body and holding back the lightning goes from being almost impossible…

…To merely difficult.

Both Mace and Sidious feel this change, and it enrages Sidious beyond all reason. He ramps up the power behind his lightning and Mace only stares in wonder. Compared to Anakin now, the power of Darth Sidious, indeed even Master Yoda, almost pales in comparison. Yet even now, there is an uncertainty about him. An uncertainty that if removed, would erase the _almost_.

Anakin Skywalker has become a study in gray.

A light clicks on in Mace Windu's head. The immense fear of loss he had felt within Anakin as he denied Sidious now made sense. Mace again looks at Anakin through the Force and sees why Senator Amidala matters so much to him.

She is his wife.

Digging deeper, Mace finds an immeasurable love for her in Anakin's heart. He would do anything for her and then Mace discovers the nightmare. Padme screaming in pain, _dying_, and Anakin being unable to save her.

It is then that Mace realizes just how Sidious had been manipulating him; and just how fragile Anakin Skywalker truly is.

In time with this realization, Anakin's inner conflict comes to a screeching halt. He remembered _exactly_ what he needed, and realized what he needed to do to get it. Amidst the crackling of the lightning against his blade, Anakin made his move. He gathered all of his power, took a slight step forward, leaned back, and then swung his lightsaber in a wide arc with all of his might.

There are no words to describe what followed.

As Anakin completed the swing of his blade, there was a resounding explosion of the Force that would've moved an entire galaxy with its power.

Would've, if it hadn't been directed singularly and completely at Sidious.

The Sith Lord's lightning is reflected back at him and slams into his chest and face mere instants before Anakin's Force blast. The enormity of the power behind Anakin's attack is so immense that Sidious's 150-odd pound body may as well have been a feather in a hurricane. Sidious is shot out of the office, through the window frame, and thousands of feet out into the Coruscanti night.

Yet as the Lord of the Sith flew into the night, Anakin crumpled to the floor.

He couldn't hold back his fear anymore.

When he spoke, his voice was a howl of purest anguish.

"_WHAT HAVE I DONE?!_"


	2. Chapter 2: Cooldown

Revenge of the Sith: Prophecy Fulfilled

Revenge of the Sith: Prophecy Fulfilled

Chapter 2: Cooldown

--(0)--

"_WHAT HAVE I DONE?_"

Anakin stumbled backward and deactivated his lightsaber.

"_WHAT HAVE I DONE?_" he howled again.

It was a simple question, yet Mace Windu held no answer for him.

In truth, Anakin Skywalker had done his duty as a Jedi. Nothing more, nothing less. But Mace knew now that for Anakin, things were _much_ different.

For Anakin, he had just condemned the love of his life to death. For Anakin, he'd single-handedly destroyed the only two people who had truly loved him unconditionally. For Anakin, there is nothing left but pain and fear.

Attachment is forbidden within the Jedi Order, as is marriage. Jedi do not have any family outside of the Order. It is this way because attachment is the easiest path to the Dark Side. It is the shadow of greed. Yet Mace Windu can tell now that Anakin draws a great deal of his strength from his love for Padme.

Which puts Mace in quite a bind.

On the one hand, Anakin Skywalker is a hero. Both to the Republic and to the Jedi. He has saved countless lives and many battles have been won off the blade of his lightsaber. Yet on the other hand, if Anakin Skywalker were to fall to the Dark Side, it would mean the destruction of the Jedi.

'_If only Obi-Wan were here,'_ Mace Windu thought, _'I'm no good at this sort of thing.'_

That's when it hit him. Mace Windu swiftly dug through the Force, following nothing but a random hunch, to try and trace the source of Anakin's power. Unsurprisingly, Mace found that it had come from a desire, no, a _need_, to buy time for Obi-Wan to get back.

Mace Windu breathed a deep sigh of relief. While he sincerely doubted that Darth Sidious was dead, he knew it would be a while before he recovered from Anakin's attack. It was a win-win situation. The Chosen One had stared darkness in the fact and survived, and Obi-Wan would have plenty of time to return from Utapau and talk to Anakin.

He just needed to know.

"Anakin," Mace said, addressing the bundle of trembling Jedi robes on the floor, "You are free to go. I'm going to contact Obi-Wan and let him know of what has transpired here. Given the circumstances, I'm sure the Council will vote to pull him back from Utapau."

It wasn't much as far as comforting words go, but it seemed to be enough for the young Jedi, who had immediately jumped to his feet, eyes shining with hope. He soon recovered some semblance of Jedi calm and nodded his thanks. Mace Windu returned the nod and moved toward the Chancellor's private office.

"Where are you going?" Anakin asked.

Mace paused and looked back over his shoulders.

"To make sure that a handful of Jedi receive a Jedi's funeral."

Anakin knew then that he was talking about.

'_I was too late after all,'_ Anakin thought glumly, _'Palpatine still killed them.'_

Mace Windu caught Anakin's thought and turned to face him.

"Anakin…"

Mace hesitated, did he really want to say this? After all, Anakin had always had problems with his ego. Indeed, his outburst in the Council chamber just two days prior had contained a hint of the Dark Side. Yet as Mace looked at Anakin now, all traces of darkness had gone away. Before him now stood not an arrogant Sith, nor a troubled Jedi. Before him now stood simply a young man. And that young man now wore an expression of deepest sorrow and regret, of pain and loss.

The expression of a lost, abandoned child looking desperately for someone to tell him that everything would be alright.

And because Mace Windu is who he is, he found himself unable to give Anakin what he is silently begging for.

"Anakin…" he tried again.

Mace knew he should offer _something_ to comfort Anakin. After all, Palpatine had been like a father to Anakin, comforting and supporting him when no one else could. Not only that, but Anakin was convinced that if he didn't do _something_, the wife that he loved and treasured more than anything else in the _galaxy_ would die in a matter of days! Jedi Code be damned; fact was fact. Anakin was losing himself and Mace needed to do something to help. So at last, with a heavy sigh, Mace Windu decided to do his best.

"Anakin…I have never seen power the likes of which Palpatine wields. He channels the very darkness of the galaxy itself. He doesn't _use_ the Dark Side of the Force, he _is_ the Dark Side of the Force. Against such power, what hope can _any_ Jedi have?"

Mace sighed. True words, but they still felt hollow. It was then he realized just how exhausted he was. Using Vaapad against Sidious had been the most draining experience of his life. To take in that kind of power and reflect it back, as Vaapad was made to do, was something Mace Windu had never thought he would wind up doing. Still, there remained one last bit of work to be done for the night.

But at his words, Anakin's expression seemed to lighten. Not in any obvious way, but his frown seemed to be a little less pronounced and Mace took a small bit of peace in that.

"Is there anything I can do to help, Master Windu" Anakin asked hopefully.

Mace nodded.

"We came here in one of the Temple's LAAT/i gunships. If you could bring it up to the office window, it would save us a lot of grief."

Anakin nodded with surprising vigor. Now that he had something to focus on, he could ignore his real troubles for that much longer.

--(0)--

A cold gust of wind slapped at his face, and the shadow that is Darth Sidious awoke with a start. He tried to stand, but every bone and muscle in his body screamed in painful protest. He shook his head and tried to remember the last thing he could. He'd been firing his Force Lightning at a Jedi, was it Anakin? It must've been because not even Yoda could've thrown him so far. Sidious looked up and found that the Senate building was much smaller than he remembered it. It _had_ to have been Anakin. Yoda wouldn't have been able to throw him several miles.

The roof he was currently sitting on was cold and metallic. Par for the course on Coruscant, and Sidious knew that one way or another, he had to get down. If Anakin was going to reject him, well, that would have to be that. But he hadn't come so close to final victory to give up yet. He could still break the boy, he just needed to find another way.

And for the darkest of the Dark Lords of the Sith, there is _always _another way.

--(0)--

On the top level of 500 Republica, Padme Amidala woke with a start. Something was wrong, she could feel it. She swiftly slid out of bed, her elegant nightgown flowing behind her like silver water, and rushed down to the balcony. Once there, she was slightly surprised to see Anakin sitting on one of the couches.

"Anakin?" she asked, "What are you doing here?"

Anakin didn't answer immediately. Rather, he looked up at her and gave her a happy, yet simultaneously sad, smile.

"Anakin," Padme repeated, "What's…"

At that, Anakin rose to his feet and walked toward her, his dark cloak billowing slightly in the breeze. Before Padme could protest, Anakin gently wrapped his arms around her and held her to him. Padme was surprised by this, but did not shy away. Instead, she repeated her question.

"Anakin, what's going on?"

Anakin didn't answer at first. Instead, he squeezed her tightly and walked back to the couch.

"There's been a…" he began, unsure of how to continue, "There's been an…unexpected development."

"What happened?" Padme asked, alarmed.

"Palpatine…He's a Sith Lord."

Before Anakin had spoken, Padme's mind had been furiously going over every possible explanation for what had Anakin so upset. But upon hearing his words, everything going on in Padme's mind came to a screeching halt.

"Oh Anakin…"

Palpatine had been like a father to Anakin, almost as much, if not more so, than Obi-Wan. To find that Palpatine was the very thing that he had sworn to destroy would've been one of the most upsetting things that Padme could envision Anakin having to go through,

"Oh Anakin…"

"And that's not the worst of it," Anakin continued, "He's the Sith Lord whose responsible for starting the Clone Wars!"

This revelation sent Padme's mind in full reverse. If what Anakin was saying were true, that means that everything Padme had thought about the man was a lie. Including everything he'd done for the Republic. Including everything he'd done for _her_ when she had been Queen of Naboo! How could that _possibly_ be true?

"Anakin, are you sure?"

"He tried to kill Master Windu, Padme! I know, I was there! _He even tried to kill me!_" Anakin shouted frantically, jumping to his feet.

"Anakin…" Padme stated simply, too dumbstruck by her husband's words to speak.

Anakin did not offer any reply. He merely hung his head and stared at the floor. The silence hung in the air like a suffocating cloud, and finally Padme asked the only question she could form in her currently jumbled mind.

"What are you going to do?"

Anakin sighed, his lips twisting in to a sad smile.

"I really, _really_ wish people would stop asking me that question."

"I'm sorry Anakin, but…" Padme began.

Anakin held up a hand to silence her.

"It's alright Padme," he said, standing up and walking to her, "Obi-wan should be on his way back now and I'll be able to talk to him then."

"What are you going to tell him?" Padme asked.

Anakin sighed heavily. Much as he may wish things were otherwise, this was his only chance.

"The truth."


	3. Chapter 3: The Essence of Light

Revenge of the Sith: Prophecy Fulfilled

Revenge of the Sith: Prophecy Fulfilled

Chapter 3: The Essence of Light

--(0)--

Soaked with sweat, and covered head to toe in dirt and soot, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi sat wearily astride his dragonmount, Boga, as she lead him into the field command center that had been set up by the clones.

"Excuse me," Obi-Wan said to a nearby clone trooper, "Where can I find Commander Cody?"

"He should be in the communications tent General, right over there."

The trooper pointed, and Obi-Wan nodded his thanks before Boga started forward in the indicated direction. Reaching the tent, Boga stopped, and Obi-Wan hopped off. Walking inside the tent, and physically exhausted, Obi-Wan released his mind into the Force, and allowed it to carry him directly to where Commander Cody was working.

"Ah, General Kenobi, I was just about to contact you," Cody said as he saw Obi-Wan approach.

"You were?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Yeah," Cody answered, "We just got an urgent message from General Windu. Something's happened back on Coruscant, he requested that you return to the Jedi Temple immediately."

"Why? What's happened?" Obi-Wan asked, suddenly concerned.

"He didn't say," Cody replied, "But we've prepped your starfighter, it's waiting for you at the landing platform to the south. The hyperdrive ring is also waiting for you in orbit."

Obi-Wan nodded, but in his mind, he was already racing back to Coruscant. What could possibly have happened, to _Anakin_ no less, that was bad enough that Master Windu would deem it necessary to call him back? For half a second, Obi-Wan's mind ran in circles as he tried in vain to answer that question. But then the Force whispered a thread of warning into his ears, and Obi-Wan's blood chilled within his veins.

Sidious

For a fraction of a second, Obi-Wan stood perfectly still. Then something inside of him snapped, and with a superhuman speed born of the Force, Obi-Wan bolted out of the command tent and ran flat out all the way to the landing pad that held his starfighter. Even before he was within eyeshot of his starfighter, Obi-Wan sent a thread of thought through the Force and triggered the ship's preflight ignition sequence, as well as open the cockpit. It had only just finished when Obi-Wan came streaking onto the platform and literally dove into the pilot's seat. Almost at once, Obi-Wan grabbed the control yokes and lifted the starfighter into the air. As soon as he was able, Obi-Wan fired the thrusters at full power and tore off into the sky, clearing the sinkhole in seconds.

Yet even moving at a speed several times the speed of sound, Obi-Wan felt as though he were standing still. As if to add insult to injury, a swarm of Vulture Droids suddenly attacked Obi-Wan and provided a frustrating reminder that he was still in a war zone. Snarling, Obi-Wan threw himself into a barrel roll to dodge the first volley of blaster fire from the droids and attempted to fly straight threw the droid formation. In response, the Vulture droids opened up with a hailstorm of blaster fire. With a furious growl, Obi-Wan wrenched his starfighter to the right and opened fire on the Vulture droids. Two of them erupted into massive balls of smoke and fire, and as Obi-Wan dove toward the others, he suddenly found himself embroiled in a battle that had taken place over 13 years ago.

As his furious determination to break through the cloud of Vulture droids and get back to Anakin consumed him, Obi-Wan recalled the last time he'd felt that way, locked in lightsaber combat with the vicious Darth Maul. As Obi-Wan the Master dodged another round of incoming blaster fire, Obi-Wan the Padawan struggled to defend himself from the whirling lighting storm that was Darth Maul's lightsaber. When Obi-Wan the Master fired his starfighter's cannons in retaliation, Obi-Wan the Padawan swung his lightsaber in a powerful arc and chopped Darth Maul's lightsaber in half.

But even with his newfound drive, Obi-Wan knew that the fight had already gone on for far too long. Opening himself fully to the Force as he had done with General Grievous, Obi-Wan felt time slow around him and he became fully aware of the environment around him. He could feel the electronic impulses firing between the circuit board brains of the Vulture droids that was their impulse to kill. He could feel the remaining twenty-five Vulture droids close in around him, and he could feel the trajectories off every last incoming blaster bolt.

Following the path that the Force had laid before him, Obi-Wan opened up with his cannons, surged forth, and wove such a nauseating flight path through the cloud of Vulture Droids that he knew Anakin would have been left speechless. At that time however, as the remains of the destroyed Vulture Droids fell back to the planet, Obi-Wan was just grateful he had the skies to himself again. Driving his ship skyward, Obi-Wan felt the Force hum within his bones. Time was running short, he needed to hurry. Allowing the Force to carry him, Obi-Wan triggered the starfighter's afterburners and blasted through Utapau's atmosphere.

As sky gave way to space, Obi-Wan could see the Venator-class Star Destroyer, _Vigilance_, floating undisturbed through the vacuum of darkness. Angling toward it, Obi-Wan soon spotted the hyperdrive ring that would carry him and his tiny starfighter back to Coruscant. Docking with the ring, Obi-Wan typed in Coruscant's coordinates and was soon launched into hyperspace, praying that regardless of whatever had happened, Anakin was still ok.

--(0)--

Back on Coruscant, in the Council Chamber of the Jedi Temple, Anakin Skywalker paced anxiously from one end to the other while Mace Windu sat in his chair and watched Anakin with an expression of deep concern. Each step Anakin took was quick and twitchy, as though Anakin were both trying to release the copious amounts of nervous energy that filled him _and_ keep it under tight control.

"Anakin," Mace said, "You need to calm down."

Anakin snapped his gaze over to Mace, eyes wide with either shock or anger, Mace couldn't tell. Yet after a minute, Anakin dropped his gaze and nodded.

"I know Master Windu," he said, "I know."

Sighing wearily, Anakin hugged his cloak tightly around him and sat down in his own chair. The instant Anakin made contact with the seat cushion however, he immediately leapt back to his feet and stared at the chair as though it had electrocuted him.

Palpatine had gotten him that seat; after Anakin told him how much he wished his fellow Jedi would acknowledge his accomplishments. What felt like a lifetime ago, being able to sit in that chair felt wonderful. But now, knowing the truth of the reason he had come into possession of it, Anakin was revolted by it. A jolt of impulse shot through his body and before Anakin was aware of what he was about to do, his lightsaber found his hand and the sapphire blade burst suddenly to life.

A thrill of alarm shot through Mace's body and he jumped out of his own chair, but a gentle wisp of the Force told Mace to wait and watch. As Mace followed the will of the Force, he noticed that Anakin had seemingly frozen in place. His lightsaber was held over his head as though he meant to cleave his Council seat in two, but his face was contorted into a twisted expression.

In a part of his heart, Anakin _deeply_ desired to chop his chair in half. Part of him wanted to rage and scream and destroy everything that Palpatine had ever given him, but no sooner had that powerful desire flooded his mind and body than it left him, robbing him of nearly all his strength and energy. Bereft of strength and will, Anakin released his lightsaber and collapsed to the floor.

"I can't do this," he whispered feebly.

Concerned as ever, Mace Windu walked over to Anakin and knelt beside him.

"Anakin," he said, placing a hand on Anakin's shoulder, "You must hold on to yourself. You cannot fall now."

"How can I not, Master Windu?" Anakin asked, rolling over and propping himself up against the chair he'd just been about to demolish, "How can I hold on to anything when I can't tell how much of it is true and how much of it is a lie?"

At that, Anakin stood up and pointed at his Council chair.

"Like that. That chair is a perfect example of what I mean. I was given that seat because of Palpatine. Because he wanted to show me that through him, I could have anything I wanted; it's not really mine. I wasn't given it because of any of my own merits, I wasn't given it because I'd earned it, I was given it because a Sith Lord lied to me! He lied about that, he lied about himself, he lied about _everything_! And if Palpatine can lie to me, _anyone_ can lie to me! Even you Master Windu, even Master Yoda, _even Obi-Wan_! Knowing that, how can you expect me to trust _anyone_?"

At Anakin's question, Mace Windu almost smiled. _This_ was something that he could answer. Grasping Anakin's shoulders in his hands, Mace tried to catch his eye.

"Anakin, Anakin look at me," he said.

Hesitantly, Anakin looked up into Mace's eyes.

"Can you sense deception in me?" he asked.

Anakin reached into the Force, and what he felt there was very unexpected.

In the world, Mace Windu came across as hard and serious, even cold. As such, Anakin had always been somewhat tense around him, unsure of how to act or what to say. But now, when Anakin looked at him through the Force, he saw something far from the harsh, cold, and unfeeling Jedi Master he had pegged Mace Windu to be. He saw that underneath his cold exterior, Mace Windu possessed a great deal of feeling. In the Force, Mace Windu was warm and kind, compassionate and gentle, and Anakin was stunned to find that a great deal of Mace Windu's compassion was directed at him.

Overwhelmed by the true depth of Mace Windu's compassion, Anakin could only shake his head no.

"Then know what I say is true, and that I speak from my heart."

Anakin nodded.

"Look at this chair," Mace said, pointing back at it, "Really look at it through the Force. What do you see?"

Anakin turned to face the chair, and he closed down his physical perceptions to peer through the Force. Through the Force, the chair exuded none of the darkness that Anakin previously felt. Instead, it pulsed gently with the wisdom and feeling of the scores of Jedi Masters that had sat there previously. A whisper of the Force called to Anakin, and he instinctively moved toward the chair.

From behind Anakin, Mace was watching him intently. He could feel the movements of the Force that were guiding Anakin, and he waited to see where it would take the young Jedi Knight.

--(0)--

Lost within the currents of the Force, Anakin felt the presence of all the Masters who had sat in that chair gathered around him. Through the Force, Anakin could feel them all send him threads of comfort.

_Do not despair young Anakin,_ they seemed to say,_ For even in the deepest darkness, light may still shine bright._

They ushered him closer, and ever so slowly, Anakin came closer and closer to the chair. As he approached, a gentle blue Force Ghost appeared behind the chair. Anakin stopped hesitantly, and when the Force Ghost turned around, Anakin released a strangled sob.

It was Qui-Gon Jinn.

Suddenly Anakin was nine years old again, and all the memories and feelings he had of Qui-Gon came rushing back. The childlike wonder at finally meeting one of the legendary Jedi that he'd always dreamed of. The warmth he'd felt blossom within his heart at the unwavering faith Qui-Gon had placed in him. The joy of realizing that Qui-Gon had gotten Watto to free him. The bittersweet moment when he realized that though he was to become a Jedi, his mother would have to remain behind; and the sadness and care in Qui-Gon's eyes. Then, Anakin felt the crushing pain he had felt upon hearing that Qui-Gon had been killed.

All of that had happened so long ago that it felt like Anakin was remembering someone else's life. But as Qui-Gon smiled at him, Anakin knew beyond any shadow of doubt that it had all been him. It had all been his life.

"Qui-Gon?" Anakin asked, his voice a strangled gasp, "Is it really you?"

Qui-Gon smiled wider, and nodded.

"I'm almost surprised you remember me," he said warmly.

Stunned, Anakin reached forward to touch Qui-Gon's shoulder, and another strangled gasp escaped him when his hand met solid resistance. Looking up at Qui-Gon in utter amazement, Anakin was perfectly still for a handful of moments, and then threw his arms around Qui-Gon's shoulders in a massive hug. Qui-Gon chuckled and returned the hug as Anakin's whole body began to shake with massive sobs. Even in the timeless void of the Force, Anakin remained locked to Qui-Gon for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, at great length, Anakin released him.

"My, my, Anakin," Qui-Gon said, "You have really grown."

"Yeah," Anakin said, wiping his eyes, "It's been over thirteen years."

"Yes, and I can tell much has happened to you in those thirteen years; and that not all of it has been pleasant."

Anakin's eyes fell as flashes of his mother's death, and the subsequent slaughter of the Tusken Camp played before his mind's eye. Anakin grimaced as the memory of that night hit him like a blow to the heart, and Qui-Gon placed a hand on Anakin's shoulder.

"Listen to me Ani, we will have all the time in the world to discuss your past, but now is not the time. Darkness swirls around you, and there are things you must know if you are to survive it."

"Tell me Qui-Gon, please," Anakin said, "I'm so lost right now."

"I know, but you do not need to fear it. We all lose ourselves sometimes, whether it be through conflict or uncertainty, and we all must fight to find ourselves again. I can feel that you hold much conflict _and_ uncertainty inside yourself, but I can also feel that there is something you hold inside that is more powerful than that; something that gives you hope and strength when everything else fails you. Tell me Anakin, what is it?"

Anakin hesitated for a moment, but the pure warmth radiating from Qui-Gon filled Anakin with a sense of peace and comfort, and Anakin knew he could tell Qui-Gon the truth.

"It's Padme, Master. Padme Amidala. You remember her, right?"

Qui-Gon chuckled. "Yes, yes. I remember her quite well. I also remember that you were more than a bit taken with her."

"You could tell that?" Anakin asked, suddenly embarrassed.

Qui-Gon smiled widely and nodded. "Yes, I could feel it in the Force. Your affection for her was _quite_ strong."

Anakin's cheeks flushed bright red, and he looked very far to his right, using his hand of flesh to hide his reddening cheeks.

"Yeah well," he said after regaining some of his composure, "We're married now, and I love her more than I could ever put into words."

"And you're afraid to lose her?"

"Almost as much as I love her," Anakin confessed.

"You don't need to be," Qui-Gon said.

Anakin looked at Qui-Gon in surprise.

"Anakin, the Dark Side of the Force is just that, a side. It is not the Force as a whole, and it never will be. At the core of the Dark Side lie emotions; anger, hate, and fear. Do you know what lies at the heart of the Light Side, Anakin?"

Anakin thought for a moment, and then realized that he truly didn't know!

"No," Anakin said, looking back at Qui-Gon, "I don't."

"Love," Qui-Gon answered simply.

"Love?" Anakin asked, dumbstruck.

"Love," Qui-Gon said again.

Anakin was silent for a moment, and then spoke again.

"But…doesn't love lead to…?"

"The fear of love, of losing that love, is what leads to the fall towards the Dark Side, but again you'll see that it is the _fear_ that truly leads to the Dark Side. What you must understand is that even though the _object_ of your love may vanish, the _spirit_ of your love can never be destroyed. If you understand this, and let yourself truly love something unconditionally, you will find that your love will endure far past anything of the physical realm. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Anakin looked away from Qui-Gon, and lost himself in his own thoughts as he tried to digest everything Qui-Gon had just told him.

"You're telling me," Anakin said slowly, at length, "That even though I may lose Padme physically, she will always be with me in spirit because I love her?"

"Yes, that is exactly what I am saying," Qui-Gon answered, "Love her unconditionally, and even in death, she will be with you just as I am with you now."

Anakin looked at Qui-Gon, confused, and Qui-Gon placed a hand on Anakin's shoulder.

"Let yourself love her completely, and unconditionally, and let that love itself be enough for you. For when you truly realize it, that love will be more than enough to keep you going. Meditate on this, and it will become clear soon enough."

At that, Qui-Gon began to walk away from Anakin, and Anakin stood there contemplating his words.

"Qui-Gon, wait!" Anakin called out, turning back to the Jedi Master, "Will I…?"

"Patience, young Anakin," Qui-Gon replied, "You _will_ have the answers you seek, I promise you."

Something somewhere inside Anakin's clicked, and a smile, a true, pure, honest smile parted his lips for the first time in what felt like a lifetime.

"Qui-Gon I…" he began, then sighed, "Thank you."

"No Anakin," Qui-Gon smiled back, "Thank _you_."


	4. Chapter 4: The Truth

Revenge of the Sith: Prophecy Fulfilled

Chapter 4: The Truth

-(0)-

As Qui-Gon walked away, Anakin slowly returned his perceptions back to the physical realm, surprised by how deeply immersed in the Force he'd actually been. When he opened his eyes again, he found that dawn was making its way across the Coruscanti skyline. The sight of the rising sun gave Anakin a modicum of peace, and he turned to look at Mace, who was still standing in the same place.

"Master Windu," Anakin began, "I…"

"What you saw," Mace Windu said, "Was for you, and for you alone."

Anakin nodded, and gazed back out of the window. He knew that somewhere out there, in that massive city, Palpatine was regrouping, finding another way to turn Anakin to the Dark Side. But when Anakin looked back over his shoulder, in the direction of 500 Republica, he knew that Padme was there for him, waiting for him to come home. Though fear still crawled through the back of his heart, it did not threaten to consume him as it had been about to. Qui-Gon's words had restored Anakin's resolution, and Anakin took a long, slow deep breath, breathing in the Force as much as air. When he released it, he was calm and still, and ready to face the consequences of his choice to refuse Palpatine.

-(0)-

Several thousand miles above Coruscant's atmosphere, there was a flash of light, and Obi-Wan Kenobi's starfighter burst into realspace. Quickly jettisoning the hyperdrive ring, Obi-Wan angled his starfighter toward the planet and descended. That trip through hyperspace had been one of the most agonizing Obi-Wan had ever experienced, and he was most pleased to be back in Coruscanti airspace, for it meant that he was that much closer to finding out what had happened to Anakin.

Within a matter of minutes, Obi-Wan was flying above the city itself and descending swiftly toward the Jedi Temple. As he touched down on one of the many landing pads, Obi-Wan looked frantically around for any sigh of Anakin. To Obi-Wan's immeasurably relief, he saw Anakin himself, accompanied by Mace Windu, walking up to his starfighter. Obi-Wan unbuckled himself, popped open the cockpit hatch, and walked as quickly as he could up to Anakin.

"Anakin, are you alright?" he asked, his voice filled with immense concern.

Anakin gave a half-hearted nod. "Yeah, Obi-Wan, I'm fine."

"Now that you're here Obi-Wan, I need to go contact Master Yoda and inform him of the situation."

"What situation?" Obi-Wan asked, "What exactly is going on?"

He looked first at Mace, then at Anakin, but neither answered.

"Obi-Wan," Anakin said at length, not looking at him, "Will you follow me please? I…I need to talk to you."

"Of course," Obi-Wan replied, now both worried _and_ confused.

As Mace walked away, Anakin led Obi-Wan from the landing platform to one of the temple's speeder bays. Getting into the nearest one, Anakin slid behind the driver's side, and Obi-Wan hopped in next to him. Steeling himself for what he knew was ahead, Anakin eased the speeder out of the bay, and into Coruscant's many skylanes.

-(0)-

Out in the Works, Coruscant's dilapidated industrial district, Darth Sidious was ever so slowly making his way through his hidden compound. Even several hours later, every inch of his body was sore. Anakin had definitely thrown him harder than he'd originally thought. Eventually, Sidious reached his destination, and activated the holo-projector that was the center point of his communication's room. A moment later, a large blue hologram of a Clone Commander resolved into life.

"Commander Cody," Sidious spoke, "Begin withdrawing your troops from Utapau. Return to Coruscant immediately, that's an order."

The hologram of Commander Cody nodded. "It will be done, my lord."

The hologram winked out of existence, and Sidious turned to leave. He wanted to give Anakin once last chance to accept his offer. After all, it would be so much easier to carry out Order 66 if he had Anakin standing beside him.

-(0)-

After riding in the speeder for a handful of minutes in total silence, Obi-Wan found his concern increasing. Just where was Anakin taking him? The answer to that was made apparent almost immediately as Anakin turned the speeder, and Obi-Wan saw that he was driving them toward 500 Republica.

'_Why would Anakin bring me here just to talk?'_ Obi-Wan thought, _'Unless…oh no.'_

As realization began to dawn on Obi-Wan, Anakin parked the speeder just next to the balcony of Padme's apartment. As he and Obi-Wan disembarked, Padme herself walked down the stairs toward them, dressed in a dark flowing dress.

"Hello Master Obi-Wan," she greeted kindly.

"Senator Amidala," Obi-Wan replied, bowing.

As the greetings were exchanged, Anakin walked silently toward one of the couches and sat down, sighing heavily. Padme and Obi-Wan followed him, Padme sitting beside Anakin, and Obi-Wan opposite them both.

"So," Obi-Wan said, "What exactly is going on here."

"Before I tell you anything," Anakin began, "I need you to promise me that you'll listen."

"Of course," Obi-Wan nodded.

"Thank you," Anakin said, before looking down at his hands.

He was going to tell Obi-Wan the truth, but which truth did he start out with? Did he open by explaining Palpatine's true identity, or did he start by telling Obi-Wan the truth about him and Padme? At length, Anakin decided to start with Palpatine. It would be easier.

"Obi-Wan," he said, "I don't know how to really tell you this. I'm still not sure if I really believe it myself, but…Palpatine is Sidious. The Chancellor is the Sith Lord who we've been looking for."

That pronouncement is so unexpected, so far beyond Obi-Wan's expectations, that all the Jedi Master can do is simply sit and stare at Anakin.

"Are you…how did you find out?"

"He told me himself," Anakin explained, "After you'd engaged Grievous on Utapau, Master Windu sent me to inform him and he…he said some things about the Force, that he knew the nature of the Dark Side, and he told me that if I became his apprentice, I could have the same kind of power he does."

Each of those words is a sucker punch straight to Obi-Wan's heart, and they drove the breath clean out of his lungs. He didn't understand it. Even if Palpatine _were_ Sidious, why would he make that kind of offer to Anakin? He would've known that Anakin would have to turn him in!

"But that's not everything I wanted to tell you," Anakin continued, interrupting Obi-Wan's train of thought, "And this is why I wanted you to promise to just listen to me."

Obi-Wan couldn't even begin to imagine what else Anakin could possibly have to tell him, or how whatever it was could compare to the revelation of Palpatine's true identity, but he nodded nevertheless.

Anakin sighed again, and took Padme's hand in his left.

"We're married."

Those two words seized hold of Obi-Wan and held him in a paralyzing grip of utter shock. He'd expected them to have some kind of relationship that was more than friendship, but he had _not_ expected _this_!

"We got married just after the Battle of Geonosis."

"Oh," was all Obi-Wan could say.

"And…a few days ago, I started having nightmares again. Like the ones I used to have about my mother, only this time they were about Padme. I was so scared, and I didn't know what to do. I knew I couldn't tell _you_ because I was afraid that you'd turn me in to the Council, and Palpatine kept telling me things, things about the dark side, saying that I could have the power to _save_ Padme from my nightmares!"

Anakin paused to give Obi-Wan a chance to speak, but Obi-Wan was so dumbfounded that he couldn't even _think_, let alone speak.

"Obi-Wan please," Anakin said as the silence thickened, "I need you to say something."

At Anakin's words, Obi-Wan found his voice again.

"Like what, Anakin?" he said, "What could I say to all of that? What do you _want _me to say to that?"

"Anything!" Anakin exclaimed, "I want you to tell me what I should do! I want you to tell me what you think, I want you to tell me what you feel. Just tell me _something!"_

Obi-Wan just shook his head. "I don't know what to tell you Anakin. I get called back from Utapau, where I'm still needed, only to find out that not only is Palpatine a Sith Lord, but that he's _the_ Sith Lord, and that he's offered you apprenticeship! On top of that, I also learn that you yourself have been lying to me for years!"

"I didn't want to!" Anakin shouted, "I _wanted_ to be honest with you, but I was sure that the first thing you'd do if I told you was throw me to the Council, who would then throw me out of the Order!"

"They'd have to Anakin!" Obi-Wan fired back, "You've broken one of the most important tenets of the Jedi Order _and_ you've broken it in one of the worst ways possible! They wouldn't have a choice."

"I know all that Obi-Wan, but…I just…I don't know what to do. I just knew that I needed to tell you the truth because…I…I just didn't have anyone else to turn to. You're my last chance Obi-Wan. I know I haven't been the perfect Jedi. I know I've broken very important rules, but I need your help. I love Padme. I love her more than anything else in the galaxy! And I don't _want_ to accept Palpatine's offer, but I've just heard so many conflicting messages in the last three days that I can hardly think."

Anakin sighed, and leaned forward onto his knees.

"Is it really so wrong to love someone?" he asked, looking down at the floor.

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to speak, but a thread of the Force passed through him and unlocked a hidden truth for Obi-Wan.

He loved Anakin.

Not in the same way that Anakin loved Padme; that was an _entirely_ different feeling. No, Obi-Wan loved Anakin the way one loves a younger brother, or even a son. The depth of this love astonishes Obi-Wan, for it was only now that he realized all the excuses he'd made for Anakin, all the times he'd defended him against the rest of the Council, and all the times he tried remind Anakin of his duty as a Jedi, Obi-Wan had done it all because he'd loved Anakin.

And he didn't want to see him fall.

With this new knowledge, Obi-Wan sighed and gave a gentle smile.

"No Anakin, it's not."

He realized then the truth of Anakin and Padme, and the truth of himself. Love had tied each of them to each other, Obi-Wan to Anakin, and Anakin to Padme. The Jedi in Obi-Wan told him to release such attachments, but a whisper of the Force, that felt oddly like Qui-Gon, told him not to, and to embrace this new truth. Obi-Wan paused for a moment and immersed himself in the Force, searching for clarity. Yet something had happened, and the Force was no longer the clear pool of truth and peace that it had been. A shadow, the same shadow that had been present since before the crisis on Naboo, had suddenly consumed the tranquility of the Force and an electric thread of warning shot through Obi-Wan's body. Leaping to his feet, Obi-Wan snatched his lightsaber from his belt and activated it, holding the blade in a tight high guard.

Anakin and Padme both jumped in fright, but then the Force hummed a warning in Anakin as well and he quickly rose to his feet.

"It's Sidious," Obi-Wan whispered to Anakin, "He's coming."

"Very perceptive Master Kenobi."

At the sound of the new voice, Anakin whirled around as his own lightsaber burst to life in his hands, and found Palpatine standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"But I'm already here," he finished with a smile.

Obi-Wan turned around also, and took up a stance next to Anakin.

"What is your business here, Sidious?" Obi-Wan asked sternly, glaring at Palpatine through his blade.

Palpatine sighed wearily. "Such hostility. I merely came here to see if Anakin had reconsidered my offer."

Obi-Wan shot a glance at Anakin, who stood still and rigid.

"Well Anakin," Palpatine asked, "Have you?"

Anakin's jaw went tight, and he merely shook his head.

"Ah," Palpatine said, "So you've…chosen the Jedi, have you?"

Anakin nodded, his voice unwilling to speak.

Palpatine sighed with disappointment. "Anakin, do you not see what I am offering you? I can give you the life you've always dreamed of. A life of freedom, and of passion, a life free of all the rules and restrictions the Jedi shackle you to. Join me, become my apprentice, and you can be anything, do anything, and have _anything_!"

A flicker of temptation rippled through Anakin's mind, but then he looked over at Padme, felt her in the Force, and felt the baby growing inside her. His heart warmed, and this voice unlocked.

"I'm sorry sir," he said, still looking at Padme, "But I already have everything I could ever want."

He smiled warmly at Padme, who smiled back. As he witnessed this exchange, a smile crept onto Obi-Wan's face as well. Through the Force, Obi-Wan could feel the new sense of peace that Anakin was now filled with, and seeing his former Padawan in this state filled Obi-Wan's heart with warmth.

Yet for Sidious, this shift filled him with frustration and anger. With difficulty, Sidious kept himself hidden behind his Palpatine mask, and tried once again to get Palpatine to convince Anakin that the Dark Side was the _only_ side.

"And what happens when you are no longer strong enough to keep it?"

Anakin looked up at Sidious, a cold thread of fear slithering around his heart.

"What?" he said.

"You say that you already have all that you could want," Sidious said gently, "But what happens when you lose it?"

Fear coiled around Anakin's heart like a snake, but as it rose to strike, Anakin remembered what Qui-Gon had told him about fear.

And love.

He looked at Padme, and Padme looked at him, and his hand of flesh found hers. The contact, though small, was nonetheless powerful. The warmth of Padme's hand pulled Anakin's awareness away from the cold words of fear that came from Sidious's twisted lips. It pulled him back to the light, into the fullness of the Force, and the ice-chains of fear that had been strapped around his heart were suddenly shattered. Anakin looked up at Sidious, and through the eyes of the Force, finally saw what lay below that Palpatine mask.

Focused and bound by his will, Darth Sidious was little more than a black, twisted mass of hatred, malice, and evil writing within a physical shell. And as Anakin stared into eyes that _seemed_ human, he found beneath them death and destruction. He saw entire civilizations consumed, cities razed to the ground in massive clouds of smoke and flame. Within Darth Sidious's Palpatine eyes, Anakin Skywalker saw the death of the galaxy itself.

Master Windu had been right. Darth Sidious didn't _use_ the Dark Side of the Force.

He _was_ the Dark Side of the Force!

Something unlocked in Anakin then, a something that was buried within the very core of who he was, and a surge of blindingly bright white light flooded through Anakin's being. His fear evaporated, his resolve solidified, and Anakin Skywalker finally knew what to do. Qui-Gon's words about love and loss echoed through his mind, and a gentle smile came to his lips.

"Just because something is gone," he said, looking first to Padme, and then to Sidious, "Doesn't mean I lost it."

A scowl slowly crept into Sidious's Palpatine mask as a current of the Force carried him the truth of Anakin's new demeanor.

"I am a Jedi, Lord Sidious," Anakin said firmly, "And I will _never_ be your apprentice."

Darth Sidious's jaw went tight, and his expression hardened.

"So be it," he said coldly, "Jedi."

With a sudden, animalistic shout, Darth Sidious thrust his left hand forward and a roar of Force energy blasted Obi-Wan clear off the terrace of Padme's apartment and out into the Coruscanti sky. Padme gasped, and Anakin screamed

"_NO!"_

Dropping his lightsaber, Anakin reached out with both hands and caught Obi-Wan in a firm Force Grip.

The sight of this was more than Sidious could tolerate. His dark rage filled every corner of his being and his power swelled to an enormous extent that as Anakin pulled Obi-Wan back to the safety of the apartment and set him down, Sidious could no longer contain it. With a thunderous roar, Darth Sidious thrust both his hands forward and channeled all his power into a surge of Force Lightning that was focused solely on Anakin.

Anakin turned around just in time to catch the storm of lightning, but was nearly overwhelmed by it's insurmountable power. It was easily ten times stronger than the blast he'd reflected back in Palpatine's office, and the fact he was using the Force to hold it with his hands was another matter entirely.

But he knew he must, and therefore, he would.

Decision again becomes reality and Anakin's power suddenly flares to match Sidious's.

"Padme, Obi-Wan," Anakin shouted over the crackling roar of Sidious's lightning, "Get in the speeder, go to the temple, now!"

Padme hesitated, but Obi-Wan did not. He pulled her back from Anakin and helped her into the speeder before driving off, leaving Anakin alone against the living darkness that was Darth Sidious.

"You know your friends can't escape me for long," Sidious sneered, "I have more power in one hand than even you or Yoda could begin to imagine!"

As if to emphasize his point, Sidious lowered one of his hands, and the power behind his lightning lessended.

For one glorious second, Anakin thought he had triumphed, but when the power of Sidious's lightning surged back, far eclipsing what it had been previously and catching Anakin entirely off guard. The blast slammed into his chest and a blinding pain coursed through Anakin's body, blinding him to all other sensations even as he was thrown from the balcony of Padme's apartment.


End file.
